PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16584, 6 July 1917, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. '■. ADDEESS-IK-REPLY MOVED, .1 [BY TELEOIUPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] o;''..'■'. :>' WELLINGTON. Thursday. - .' The House of Itepresfifliaiix^ niet at 2.30 p.m. 'Mr/J6luVAnatey (Woitaki) gave . notice of Ins intention to a&'t the Government if it'. will , introduce legislation exempting small estates of soldiers who have lost their lives in th(, cause of the Empire' from death" duties.;""'" . Replying to Mr. J. V, Brown (Napier), the Prime Minister said it was intended to bring down an amendment of the War Regulations Act this session, when the whoj.e, question, of Jim freedom of speech under, the regulations would come up for review. . The remainder of the / afternoon, was spent ill diiicussing the ' introduction til Bills brought forward by Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lyjui),...:- , .. - ... >- ... , . The House rose at 5.45 p.m. and resumed at 7.30 ts.m,' •" '"" t Mr. G. H. Smith (Pahiatua) rose to move that r a respectful' address be presented to Ri« ■ Excellency, tha Governor: ; Genoralin reply" to ' His Excellency s speech* tin nsrhg to make bis mm™ speech lie was received, with applause. He prefaced his remarks by speaking with approval of- the 'now dignity -conferred on : His Excellency, wliich reflected the appre- • ciation of" the Imperial authorities of jNew Zealand's efforts in tho cause of the m- • pire. Continuing, he said criticism had . been levelled against the 'Prime Minister i and Mteller for Finance in remaining so ' long i>, England'. BufTie regarded such a i censure m wholly, unwarranted. Many questions were bound to arise out of the ; war, and "great•''lmperial '"developments would take place. Many of those ques- : tions could not be profitably discussed at . the present moment, but incidentally he! - wanted to sw he did riot favour Imperial preference', "which 'lie 'thought 'wbldsa ' lie certain to result in dearer food for the i British people. ' Referring to the Governor-Generals ' speech, be said be found little in it to' indicate" the policy of the i Government,,< especially .-in- -regard to financial" measures. He criticised ex- ' cess profits tax, which, he thought, should > he amended, -if. 110$, repealed -altoge.tlie,r, < The Land and Inconio Tax Act also ' required amendment," especially the ' clause which . prevented the farmer ■ from ' deducting"'"from" bis 1 - income ' tax interest paid .on . mortgage. Ho regretted that insufficient attention • had so'•far been'given'fb>,the"' increasing 1 problem of settling returned soldiers pa. ' the land/"* He Sectored that the whole 1 system of pensions- and' .allowance? to" sol' ' diers should he revised for the Second Division, "in 'rega'fd-'to * reinforcements he thought the Government should take, the House into its confidence, and let the House .iky Ho "wiint*'-fit ) -qngthreiriforc? r , ments should be kept' up. The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiapoi) in secor.d- ---; ing the motion congratulated Smith I on hie practical speech, and welcomed L him to the' House as r a" farmers'" advo. , cate. After referring to the shipping prob* [ lem and the fine spirit in which the people . had accepted the provisions of the Milir tarr' ""Service Acti lie criticised the l constitution "of the National Efficiency . Board. He thought it would be Ei more effective if it . were presided over 1 by a permanent chairman, with the board > made up of residents of the provinces s where the board was operating.'' :He re--1 ferr?d,.to the need for practising economy, 1 and said * that in adjusting "taxation > luxuries must*bear a heavier snare of The 1 burden- It had- to be remembered that I while the men in the trenches were earn--5 ing'3ss a r week, many "who were ' not 'at . the war were making huge profits. '•*** He r favoured the continuance of our reinforcel ments to the: last possible man, but in re- ! gard to after-war problems he deprecated : attempts to force" , upon the Empire. The right system of Imi penal "federation could only be evolved in i the course' of time, and ' New ' Zealand i could' rest content that British 'trains' and • British patriotism would in due Course "de- . fine whether preferential tariffs were or i were not the right course to pursue. On the motion of Mr. J. T. M.'Hornsby , IWairarapa), the debate was then ad-l,,iourned-until 2.50 to-morrow, and the ■ House rose at 9.30 p.m. ) .■TjT" I '.'^..- — r LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. ADDRESSIN-REPLY CARRIED. [BY TELEGRAM-.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] ■ , ~.. WELLINGTON, • Thursday. After an adjournment since Friday night . the Legislative Council resumed this after . noon. The Address-in-Reply was moved . by the Hon. John and seconded by } the Hon, -Major B. Harris.-- ■*-"■ -•"■ The Address-iij-Reply was .-greed to. . The Council" adjourned at 4-55 p.m. till , Wednesday. ' K - y ''" . '..<•' .